Tabbing machine



Nov. 3, 1964 w. M CONNELL ETAL 3,155,544

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WILLIE Mc CONHELL 650265 HEAD IN VEN TORS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,155,544 TABBENG MACHINE Willie McConnell, Venture, Calif., and George Head, Los Angeles, Calif. (11556 Newcastle Ave, Granada Hills, Calili}; said McConnell assignor to said Head Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 159,860 4 Claims. (Q1. 118-410) This invention relates to an improved tabbing machine and more particularly to apparatus for applying a continuous bead of cement under the tabs of composition shingles.

The practice of securing the tabs of roofing shingles to the underlying shingles by means of adhesives to prevent leakage caused by warping or blowing away of the shingles has become common in the construction industry. In many areas such tabbing is required by building codes or lending institution policy. When such shingles are tabbed by hand, a spot or gob of suitable cement is placed under each tab with a putty knife or other suit able instrument. This Work is relatively time consuming, and adds substantially to the cost of construction of shingled buildings. Naturally it is also extremely tiring to the man doing the work.

Devices are available to tab shingles mechanically, but they do have the drawback that they either build-up dams of cement at the shingle cut-outs or deposit so much cement that the excess flows out from under the tabs. Other devices apply the cement intermittently with the result that the shingles are not uniformly tabbed.

The present invention, on the other hand, applies a continuous bead of cement under a shingle tab without permitting excess quantities of cement to squeeze out or dam up while uniformly tabbing each shingle.

In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic of existing devices for tabbing shingles, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tabbing machine not subject to the disadvantages enumerated above and having a combination shoe and nozzle arrangement especially designed for lifting and tabbing shingles efiiciently, safely and expeditiously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described Which will place a continuous bead of cement under the tabs of asphalt shingles with a minimum of eifort on the part of the operator of the machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tabbing machine of the type described which will apply cement underneath the tabs of composition-type shingles at a predetermined distance from the edge of the shingle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tabbing machine which will apply cement underneath the tabs of composition-type shingles with the operator of the machine standing in an upright position and which will apply a uniform bead of cement as fast as the normal walking speed of the operator.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tabbing machine of the type described which has an adjustable head to conform to the pitches of roof decks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tabbing machine of the type described which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and use, and of sturdy and simple construction.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tabbing machine 3,155,544 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 of the invention showing it schematically connected to a supply of cement to be used in connection therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the head of the machine in position under the tab of a shingle;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the head of the tabbing machine with a part of the nozzle being shown in cross section to expose its interior construction; and

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of a,tabbing machine of the invention.

Referring again to the drawing, the tabbing machine constituting the present invention, generally designated 10, includes a head 12, a conduit 14 and a tubular handle 16. The conduit 14 passes through the handle 16 and is connected to a container of cement 18. A pump 20 withdraws cement from the container 18 and pumps it through a check valve 22, a valve 23 in the handle 16 and, thence, into the head 12.

The head 12 includes a shoe-type nozzle 24 having a rounded forward edge 26, a discharge aperture or port 28, a throughgoing fluid passageway 29, and a threaded coupling 30. The shoe-type nozzle 24 is connected to a threaded fitting 32 which, in turn, is rigidly affixed to a base plate 34. The plate 34 is rigidly ailixed to a plu rality of upstanding brackets 36. The upstanding brackets 36 provide a bifurcated connection with the handle 16 and are adjustably mounted thereon by means of armate plate 38 having pin-engaging apertures 40 and stopengaging apertures 42. The plate 38 is rigidly aflixed to the handle 16 and the upstanding brackets 35 are pivotally mounted astraddle the plate 38 by means of a pin 44. The angle of the longitudinal axis of the handle 15 with respect to the horizontal axis of the shoe-type nozzle 24 may be adjusted by inserting a stop 46 in a suitable stopengaging aperture 42.

The base plate 3 serves as a depth gauge to control the depth of insertion of the shoe-type nozzle 24 under a shingle tab 48. The versatility of the plate 34 as a gauge is increased by providing plates of suitable thickness, such as the plate 59, which may be removably secured to the plate 34 by means of threaded bolts 52.

The combined shoe and nozzle 24 with its rounded forward edge 26 is an important feature of this invention because it permits running a uniform, continuous bead of cement along under the tabs 48 without building up excessive dams of material between tabs.

As illustrated in FIGURE 4, in the preferred embodi-,

ment of the subject invention the nozzle 24 is bi-laterally symmetrical, being widest in its central portion, with the forwardmost point in the rounded forward edge 26 located at the center of the nozzle. Discharge port 28 is positioned at this point. The rearwardly sweeping curve of forward edge 26 is thus smooth and symmetrically on each side of the discharge port. The ends of the for ward edge 26 are preferably disposed laterally beyond those of the trailing edge of the nozzle.

Operation of the device will be readily understood. The operator of the machine inserts the edge of the shoetype nozzle under one corner of the first tab in a roW of shingles to be treated and simultaneously presses the valve 23 releasing cement into the head 12. As the cement starts to flow out the discharge port 28, the operator slides the head 12 along horizontally lifting shingle tabs and simultaneously spreading a head of cement as he Walks along the roof. By holding the plate 50 against the lower edge of the course of shingles being tabbed as he moves from one side of the roof to the other the operator assures the laying down of the head a uniform distance from the edge of the course.

The symmetrical configuration of the preferred form of the invention described above is especially suited to operation in either direction along a course of shingles. The central location of the discharge port 23 insures that 3 the cement bead will not be disturbed by the passing forward edge 26 of the nozzle. The laterally widely disposed ends of the forward edge 26 permit the nozzle to he slid along a course without danger of catching the edges or corners of shingles in adjacent courses.

While the particular tabbing machine herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the invention and that no limitations are intended on the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is: I

1. In an apparatus for applying ceinentitious material under the tabs of shingles comprising a handle, a source of said cementitious material 'under pressure, and a conduit it fluid-tight communication with said source,

An applicator attached to said handle comprising a laterally elongated relatively thin shoe-type nozzle having flat upper and lower surfaces,

a relatively wide central portion, said central portion being Widest at the center of said nozzle,

a forward edge curved rearwardly laterally from its forwardmost point, said point being located at the center of said nozzle,

a bore passing through said central portion entirely within said nozzle, said bore terminating at one of its ends in a discharge port at said forwardmo'st point in said forward edge, and

communicating at its other end in fluid-tight relationship with said conduit. I

2. An applicator as described in claim 1 having adjustable guage means mounted on said nozzle for controlling the depth to which said nozzle can be inserted under said tabs.

3. An applicator as described in claim 2 in which said guage means comprises a base plate mounted on said nozzle and adapted to receive a face plate of predetermined thickness, and means for removably securing said face plate to said base plate.

4. In an apparatus for applying cementitious material under the tabs of shingles comprising a handle, a source of said cementitious material under pressure, and a conduit in fluid-tight communication with said source,

An applicator attached to said handle comprising a relatively thin laterally elongated bi-laterally symmetrical shoe-type nozzle having flat upper and lower surfaces,

a relatively wide central portion, said central portion being widest at the center of said nozzle,

a forward edge curved r'earwardly laterally from its forwardmost point, said point being located at the center of said nozzle, and terminating in aligned opposite ends,

a straight trailing edge parallel with the line connecting the opposite ends of said forward edge and having two ends, the said ends of said forward edge being disposed of laterally outward of the ends of said-trailing edge, and

a bore passing through said central portion entirely within said nozzle, said bore terminating atone of its ends in a discharge port at said forwardmost point in said forward edge, and

communicating at its other end in fluid-tight relationship with said conduit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 101,400 3/70 Wyatt. 1,140,020 5/15 Bradley. 2,084,625 6/37 Stebbins Bt a1. 2,300,398 11/42 Arnes 15-596 2,522,324 9/ Wilkerson. 2,824,442 2/58 Ames 15--596 2,871,817 2/59 FaSOld et 'al 118-407 3,016,040 1/62 Crookston 118-410 3,099,582 7/63 Ongstad et al. 118410 X FOREIGN PATENTS 578,563 6/59 Canada.

RICHARD D. NEVIUS,-Primary Examiner.

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 155 544 November- 3; 1964 Willie McConnell et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that thersaid Letters Patent should read-as corrected below.

Column 3, line l7 for "it" read in Signed and sealed this 16th day of March 1965.

EA Att estz ER EST swiDER EDWARD J. BRENNER H Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL UNDER THE TABS OF SHINGLES COMPRISING A HANDLE, A SOURCE OF SAID CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL UNDER PRESSURE, AND A CONDUIT IT FLUID-TIGHT COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SOURCE, AN APPLICATOR ATTACHED TO SAID HANDLE COMPRISING A LATERALLY ELONGATED RELATIVELY THIN SHOE-TYPE NOZZLE HAVING FLAT UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES, A RELATIVELY WIDE CENTRAL PORTION, SAID CENTRAL PORTION BEING WIDEST AT THE CENTER OF SAID NOZZLE, A FORWARD EDGE CURVED REARWARDLY LATERALLY FROM ITS FORWARDMOST POINT, SAID POINT BEING LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF SAID NOZZLE, A BORE PASSING THROUGH SAID CENTRAL PORTION ENTIRELY WITHIN SAID NOZZLE, SAID BORE TERMINATING AT ONE OF ITS ENDS IN A DISCHARGE PORT AT SAID FORWARDMOST POINT IN SAID FORWARD EDGE, AND COMMUNICATING AT ITS OTHER END IN FLUID-TIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CONDUIT. 